Prime Minister Andy Burnham has condemned the "poisonous" groups of masked gangs intimidating people around the country, as he arrived in Liverpool for his party's showpiece conference this weekend.
Mr Burnham, who was born in Liverpool, is leading the party's conference for the first time as Prime Minister. The event begins in earnest today (Sunday), with his keynote address scheduled for Tuesday.
Prime Minister's condemnation of masked gangs
The Everton-supporting leader joined the ECHO on a trip aboard the new, state-of-the-art Mersey Ferry on Saturday, speaking about his special bond with the city of his birth and his admiration for the "unique" spirit of its people.
Asked about regular scenes elsewhere in the country, particularly on the south coast, where gangs of masked individuals calling themselves Patriot Platform are spreading fear in communities and blockading ports and roads in the name of supposed anti-immigration protests, Mr Burnham was unequivocal in his condemnation.
He told the ECHO: "These are scenes we have not seen in Britain, people in fully black clothing, face coverings, it is designed to intimidate, designed to cause fear, designed to divide and we absolutely should stand up against it and defeat it. It has no place in Britain.
"In fact, these are scenes we have not seen on British streets. Immigration needs to be deal with, I will be the first to say that and we are dealing with it. The boat crossings have been halved since six years ago, net migration is down massively.
"But it feels like some people are not doing this out of concern for the issue, it is about a poisonous form of politics. They are exploiting the issue for their own purposes and I think most people can see it for what it is, but it does need to be dealt with firmly."
Praise for Liverpool's history of fighting discrimination
Speaking about his birth city, he added: "It is a case of the values of Liverpool being the values of the country. This city has a long history of fighting racism and discrimination and long may that be the case."
He added: "It has shaped me, my family, my politics, everything really. This city is a really special place."
The Labour Party Conference begins in earnest today (Sunday). The Chancellor's keynote speech will take place on Monday, followed by the Prime Minister on Tuesday. The ECHO will have full coverage throughout the major event.
